Bangladesh

Bangladesh's top-ranked table tennis player denied boarding for Asian Championships

Muhtasim Ahmed Hridoy was stopped from flying to Tashkent after a document listed a mark beside his name, leaving Bangladesh short for the men's team event.

ScrollBeat DeskPublished: 18 Oct 2026, 13:43

A table tennis table. File photo: Killarnee via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Killarnee, via Wikimedia Commons

Bangladesh's top-ranked male table tennis player, Muhtasim Ahmed Hridoy, was not allowed to board a flight to Tashkent for the 29th Asian Table Tennis Championships after an Uzbek document carried a mark beside his name, even though his visa had been approved.

Hridoy held an on-arrival visa approval and a barcode, but the airline, Air Arabia, withdrew the boarding card it had already issued after checking his papers, he said. The championships run from 19 to 25 October.

The Bangladesh squad — three women, two men, a coach and an official — reached Tashkent, but Hridoy returned from Dhaka airport, Dhaka Post reported.

"They gave me a boarding card along with everyone else. Later, while checking the visa papers, they saw a black mark beside my name on a document from Uzbekistan's interior ministry, and they took my card back," Hridoy said. "The federation contacted Uzbekistan, but I still could not go. I had prepared a lot for this tournament, and I feel very bad to be in this situation."

Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation general secretary Saidul Haque Sadi said the organisers had emailed Air Arabia to confirm that Hridoy's visa was valid and that he could enter Uzbekistan, but the airline still refused to board him. He said the organisers would take the matter up with their ministry, but the problem arose late on Saturday and offices were closed on Sunday.

The team event begins on Monday, and a country cannot contest a men's team event with fewer than three players. Without Hridoy, Ramhim Lian Bawm and Javed Ahmed cannot play the men's team event.

Hridoy was also entered in the mixed doubles with Mou and in the doubles with Javed. He said it was unclear whether his partners could be paired with others, because the draw was due to be finalised shortly. Bangladesh's fourth-ranked player, Emon, has a visa but also faces entry issues, Sadi said.

Earlier, Hridoy wrote on social media about his disappointment, saying his mother had come to a metro station to see him off on Saturday morning and that he was returning home alone.

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